By 2012, HAO WU, MBA’00, had carved out a career in the tech sector, culminating in his role as TripAdvisor’s country manager for China. But simultaneously, as exhibited by his 2005 documentary debut, “Beijing or Bust,” Wu nurtured a passion for capturing people’s stories, especially in his home country. In 2006, Wu was detained for almost five months by the Chinese government in connection to his coverage of “house churches” — independent and frequently repressed Protestant assemblies. He began pursuing filmmaking full-time in 2012. Among his accolades, “76 Days,” Wu’s collaborative coverage of the Wuhan frontline health care workers and their patients during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic, was awarded the 2021 Primetime Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.
For a list of other notable U-M grads, visit umalumni.com/notable-alumni.
